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Week of April 6, 2023
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DENVER, COLORADO
A publication of
VOLUME 96 | ISSUE 20
War vets share stories with students ‘Living History Lessons’ is an annual tradition at the high school BY CHRISTY STEADMAN CSTEADMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Elaine Westblade talked about how she and her husband, the late Maynard Westblade, promised to keep in touch by writing letters to each other every day he was overseas fighting in World War II. They met when Elaine attended Denver South High School and Maynard was studying at the University of Denver. Their romance was put on hold. Maynard was part of the 42nd Infantry’s “Rainbow” Division. The artilleryman helped liberate prisoners in the infamous Dachau Nazi concentration camp in Germany. Despite the horrific human toll of the war, Elaine was convinced that her beau would return home. They’d gotten engaged before Maynard left. “I couldn’t find a wedding dress because they were using fabrics for dresses for things in the war,” Elaine said. At home, Elaine had to get creative in the face of wartime rations. She recalled that people were on rations — everything from sugar to gas — and were only allowed to purchase one new pair of shoes per year. “I was going to several of the stores in Denver down on 16th Street before it became a mall,” Elaine said. “I couldn’t find anything, so a friend of mine offered for me to wear hers, but it was too big so I took it to another friend who altered it. My sister had a veil I could use.” Just months after Maynard returned home in 1946, the two got married. SEE STORIES, P2
Study sees need for EV chargers Coloradans are on track to make 25% of new car sales electric BY MICHAEL BOOTH THE COLORADO SUN
Elaine Westblade and her late husband, Maynard Westblade, married after he reCOURTESY OF ELAINE WESTBLADE turned home from serving in WWII.
Colorado’s electric vehicle-hungry car buyers are on pace to make EVs 25% of new car sales by 2025, according to a new three-year review by state officials, but energy leaders must build thousands more charging ports over two years to keep pace. If Colorado stays on track for 65,000 light-duty EV sales in 2025, governments and utilities need to have installed or at least awarded 1,700 ultrafast DC chargers and 5,800 slower Level 2 public chargers by then, according to the “2023 Electric Vehicle Plan,” the first since 2020. Transportation is the leading source of greenhouse gas emissions in Colorado, and one of the largest local sources for ozone-causing emissions that lead to EPA rule violations. Colorado set goals for 26% greenhouse gas reductions from a 2005 baseline by 2025, and 50% by 2030. Those goals have long depended on getting 940,000 EVs on state roads by 2030. U.S. statistics show about 1.6 million light duty cars registered in Colorado. Colorado car sales included 10.5% EVs in 2022, up sharply from 6% in 2021. Coloradans buy about 200,000 SEE CHARGERS, P6
INSIDE: CALENDAR: PAGE 7 | VOICES: PAGE 8 | LIFE: PAGE 10
T BEFSTHE O T S E B
2023
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